Administrator's job description on the agenda

DIXON – The City Council will hold its first work session Wednesday on creating a job description for city administrator.

In the aftermath of former City Engineer Shawn Ortgiesen's resignation for using city-issued credit cards for personal items, the City Council said it would hire an administrator.

Police Chief Danny Langloss, who was appointed special assistant to the City Council to lead the search and serve in the post temporarily, will give his recommendation on what the description should be.

He visited East Peoria to talk with its officials about forming a job description. Similar to Dixon, the city has a commission form of government.

From his visit, Langloss said it will be important for the councilmen to draft a job description with clear lines of authority.

No action can be taken at the meeting, but public comment will be taken.

About 20 percent of municipalities with the commission form of government have a city administrator, said Dawn Peters of the Illinois City/County Management Association.

"It's a very awkward arrangement," Peters said. "Under a different form of government, if a city has an administrator, the administrator has control over the department heads, and they report to the administrator. In the commission form, the commissioner has that control.

"You wonder to whom the department head is accountable, the commissioner or administrator? There's such a blurry line there."

After a job description is drafted, the City Council must decide whether to hire an interim or permanent administrator.

Sterling City Manager Scott Shumard told the task force last week that the council should consider an interim candidate, since the 2014 election could bring about new council members and potentially a different form of government.

A hire could come within the next 2 to 4 months.

To attend

The Dixon City Council meets at 1 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 121 W. Second St.

Go to www.discoverdixon.org and click on "Citizens Information Center" or call City Hall, 815-288-1485, for an agenda.